In our continuing pursuit to push new products to market and provide our customers with parts that fit and function correctly we purchased this A5 so we can experiment with product fitments on our car instead of yours. Since we acquired it in July of 2010 we have installed many prototype parts and new-to-market items that nobody else has tried.

We started with one of the fastest ways to make any car unique - a set of aftermarket wheels. Since the first fitment we have had no less than 5 different wheel fitments on the car. We then covered the roof in black gloss vinyl which blended with the sunroof for a very clean look. To complete the simple, understated, exterior modifications we added 35% window tint. With the car looking sleek we moved to performance modifications. A Hypershift short shift was installed along with APR software and a GMP exhaust system with laser-etched GMP logo chrome tips. For the intake system we have fitted both an Injen cold air intake and an APR Carbonio to compare fitment, aesthetics, sound, and performance. We have brought the performance nearly to S5 levels while also achieving highway fuel efficiency in the 32MPG range. Initially we had installed H&R lowering springs as a first step to improving the handling, but when it came time to make go one step more as well as get the perfect lowered look we went with an H&R coil-over suspension system. Inside the car we added Rennline pedals for both great looks and to improve grip on the pedals on the track and while in the pedal area a Sprint Booster found it's way in there. Currently we are working with a major brake pad manufacturer to bring multiple low dust performance oriented brake compounds to the B8 chassis with our initial track testing having been recently completed.

Unfortunately as with life everything doesn’t always go as planned and this happened to be one of those times. Upon installation of the APR turbo back exhaust system we ran into issues with proper front to back fitting issues. As you can tell in the pictures the tips come past the bumper far too much for a nice clean look that we were looking for. The exact reason for the odd fit has yet to be figured out but we are currently working with APR to sort out and solve this issue.

The factory diverter valve was replaced with a new unit from Forge due to the added boost from the larger turbocharger.

Before we started our project we took some "stock" pictures for comparisons.

As the initial step in improving the cars handling and looks we installed H&R's lowering spring kit. This lowered the car about 1.3" from the stock ride height. After driving the car over a few months time we felt that the car's stock shock absorber valving did not suit the springs well and caused some minor, but noticeable, undesired effects on the car's ride quality. Upon consulting H&R we believe that the US spec suspension is valved differently than the European suspension that H&R tested with.

To step up the performance to another level we installed H&R's adjustable coil-over kit. Initially in jest and just to test what would happen we installed them with the ride height adjustment in the absolute lowest setting this kit would allow. Much to our surprise it not only looked great, but we had enough tire clearance to continue to use this setting after raising the rear by about 0.25" to give the car a great raked look. Ride and handling, no matter if you are on the highway for hours, in downtown, or at the track, are superb.

We attended the 2010 Petit LeMans with our Audi A5 Project. While there, we worked with APR to test-fit a Carbonio cold air intake on our A5. The unit fit perfectly and we are proud to have helped with its development and install the product on our personal vehicle. Here are a couple of shots of the factory airbox removed, the intake installed and a close-up of the finished product.

When we started to carry Injen's product lines we decided to try out their intake on our project A5. Installation is easy and fitment is great, but do note that the filter element must be installed from underneath the car. It opens up a large area in the engine bay that we believe should help air circulation around the hot turbo and help lower temperatures under the hood slightly. The most notable aspect of this intake is the sound. Both inside the car and out you can hear the turbo and recirculation valve prominently.

The B8 A4, S4 and also A5 and S5 6-speeds all share the same shifter mechanism. The factory shifter is a very loose and installing a short shifter improves the feel dramatically giving you a big gain in control with a reduction in throw and play. We chose to work with a unit from HyperShift and have it installed for testing. We have been very pleased with the results and have the units in stock.

-The factory shift lever is retained which contains special vibration isolating materials at two critical points.
-Stock shift height is retained, no short cuts to short shifting by just dropping the knob height here.
-No fussing with interior trim and the potential heartbreak of damaging or scratching your interior parts.
-The shifter is designed with a pair of precision cartridge bearings to the pivot point for frictionless actuation.

Fast and simple install. Reversible. Smooth action. Damage-free installation.

We took a few measurements before and after to justify the short shifters effectiveness. We measured the throw (Distance between 1st to 2nd, 3rd to 4th and 5th to 6th) and the play (left and right and fore and aft).

Throw: Stock = 4.25"
Throw: Sport = 3.00"

Play: Stock = 0.50"
Play: Sport = 0.25"

We worked with Rennline to develop this four part pedal kit. The dead pedal shown is the very first prototype for this fitment and fits like a charm right out of the box. These pedals spice up the looks inside the car and provide a little bit extra grip that is usefull during hard cornering.

Since we were under the dashboard installing the Rennline pedals we decided to go ahead and drop in a SprintBooster. Installation is a nice, easy, plug-n-play affair. Typically the most time for us is in making certain we route the wiring for the button safely away from the pedals and steering column to be sure we don't impede them in any way. With this car we found that everyday street driving is best on the green setting, but at the track the red race mode is great to get lightning fast response.

Our 2010 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro received a much needed voice. The stock exhaust note is hardly audible over the ambient noise of the vehicle itself and as an enthusiast, it was one of the first issues we wanted to address. We have worked together with a notable US exhaust manufacturer to produce a simple, bolt-on cat-back system for our Project A5 2.0T AWD 6spsd.

As warranties, inspections and CEL's are a growing concern, we wanted to install a simple, bolt-on cat-back system, that will give us a sportier sound. The system installs behind the catalytic converter, at the stock cat flange, and retains all the factory O2 sensors. The two systems, photographed next to one another, are similar in layout, and the dual 3.5” round, handmade, double-wall tips fit nicely within the stock opening without having to cut the stock valance. The GMP logo is laser-etched onto the top of the mirror polished tips providing a signature style to our A5 project.

The exhaust utilizes a straight through design using 3” CNC mandrel bent T304 stainless steel tubing and mounts in the factory hanger locations. The initial resonator is eliminated and the secondary resonator and muffler incorporates unique Purge Resonance Technology (PRT) enabling the system to have nice sporty exhaust note during acceleration yet a pleasant touring note while cruising with no interior drone. the entire system has been high-polished to a mirror shine.

Our GMP A5 took a trip to Performance Friction in Clover, SC to begin development of a brake components for the B8 application. Here are a few shots of the car while their engineers were taking measurements with a FARO arm creating a computerized mock up of the brake components.

To kick off development of our new track brake packages we started by working with Carbotech to develop some pads for the B8 chassis. We are working on a low dust street pad compound and a high-temp track compound which share base materials. By sharing base materials we eliminate the need to re-bed the brakes every time you switch pads for the track. This means that you can drive your car daily with no squealing that you get with a track pad and keep your wheels cleaner, then simply stop by before your track event and have us drop in your track pads so you can go to the track without worrying about overheating and destroying the brakes that you need to take the kids to school the following week.

While there we chose to compliment our new pads with some Powerslot rotors. The slots in these rotors help keep pad wear even by venting the superheated gasses that form between the pad and rotor during heavy braking.

After developing a spongy brake pedal at our last event at Road Atlanta we changed the brake fluid and took the car to CMP to test it out. We ran the car very hard while also doubling up on track sessions with two drivers and again felt some brake fade. Upon inspection back at the shop we discovered that they are getting extremely hot. We have ordered some special temperature indicating paint for testing purposes and we are now in the process of developing brake cooling options.

The wheel is a 19x8.5 RH AW one-piece design. The tire is a 245x35x19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. The car was lowered on H&R springs.

Longtime partner BBS Wheels announced the release of the new BBS CH-R wheels and it immediately sparked an interest for our project A5. Available in silver and matte black, BBS took the classic CH and gave it a new look with a concave face and contoured spoke design. We contacted BBS about the wheel and planned to order a set of 20x9.0 and 20x10.5 for the front and rear , respectively. At the time of the order, a special finish was announced known as "Titanium" and would be special order from Germany. We decided to wait on this "Unobtanium" and we managed to receive one set of only a few wheels to have arrived after a few month waiting period.

Upon arrival, the wheels were inspected and having had a number of wheels sets in various sizes already on the car, we decided to give the 20x10.5 a try on the front of the A5. After initially test-fitting the wheels for clearance, we mounted a 275x30x20 tire and tested for clearance under compression. Passing the tests, we took the A5 out for a test-drive with the wheel setup and were pleased to find that aside from the fender liner clips, the setup did not rub, even on our aggressive stance with the H&R Street Performance coilovers turned all the way down. A quick call to BBS secured a second pair of 20x10.5 CH-R's and completed our inquisition to maximize our contact-patch. in doing so, we have also been able to retain a matching wheel and tire size all the way around our Audi. BBS had previously only fit the 20x9.0 all-around for those that were concerned with Audi's Quattro differentials, choosing to stay away from staggered set-ups. 

We then contacted Continental Tire to discuss our tire fitment. The technical specifications of their tires for a 20x10.5 recommends that a tire must be at least 285x30x20 for proper operation. Continental's recently released DW and DWS tires have taken the high-performance market by storm and are popular for both their performance and price. In particular, the DWS is available in a number of custom sizes, including the desired 285x30x20, and carries a 540 treadwear rating. We now had a performance tire that properly fit our wheels.

Before mounting the Continental tires, we examined our wheels to see if we could make adjustments to accommodate the wider 285x30x20 tire size. We measured and compared the backpad depth of both the stock Audi A5 as well as the BBS CH-R wheels and determined that we could increase the offset by 5mm, taking the BBS wheels from a 25mm offset to a 30mm and effectively pulling the wheel inward and away from the fender's lip. Our machine shop carefully removed the excess material from the wheels back-pad. 

The wheels and tires were mounted, filled with Nitrogen, road-force balanced and then installed on our project A5. After a number of city and highway miles, we braved the road-course circuit at VIR with our custom wheel and tire package. The car performed extremely well with no major rubbing. However, due to the extremely lowered stance of the vehicle and the comfort specific spring rate of the Street Performance H&R coilover kit, we did experience some rubbing of the fender liners and inner portion of the fender lips. Considering the ride comfort and mileage capabilities of the Continental DWS tire, which was never designed to be a track tire, this wheel, tire and suspension package combines the best elements for a street enthusiast's Audi A5.